Caught in the Crossfire
by 13lackmagic
Summary: The town of Port Charles is forced to choose sides in a brewing mobwar. Maxie/Johnny begin to kindle a romance while Spinelli/Georgie get to live out the chance they were never given, when Georgie is brought back to Port Charles by her "deadbeat" parents.
1. The First Look

Caught in the Crossfire

_A/N: This story is mostly for the benefit of my friend, Carli. You see, she was complaining that there was a lacking in GSpin fanfiction and although I like GSpin and see complete compatibility between the two, I find the couple slightly uneventful and still somehow cute; so I knew I had to incorporate some fire that I love and that's how this one came about. A GSPIN/JOMAX CROSS!_

**A Quick History Lesson!!**

With the town of Port Charles forced to choose sides of a brimming mob war, the towns' super powers are broken up an playing on different sides. Because of the chaos of Kristina's real attacker still being unknown as Johnny begins to plot against Sonny, he finds an unlikely ally in Luke. And they're both seeking out vengeance for their respective families, as Ethan is forced to go into hiding as the war heats up.

As Maxie begins to realize that Spinelli isn't really the love of her life, she also begins to realize the vision of Georgie coming to her as an angel WASN'T a dream. Georgie Jones is back, with the help of Frisco and Felicia Jones—who also, to Maxie's dismay, are back in town. This will be a great help to the PCPD, and trust me, they're going to need it.

~~/~

**CHAPER 1:**

As the night began to pull to a close, Maxie found herself lying, once again, in her own bed with Spinelli's arms wrapped neatly around her. It was the first night she had gotten to spend at home, since she got out of the hospital and to her relief Spinelli had insisted that there was no sex until she got her strength back. It was probably 2:30 in the morning when Maxie heard an insistent knock on the door. She assumed that Lulu had forgotten her key and had just gotten back from having hot sex with Dante! That was the thought that made her hurry out of bed; she wanted the details! Walking over to the door, she felt a chill run down her spine, which was unusual because spring had just began in Port Charles and the nights were no longer cold.

She walked to the door and peered through the key hole. "You have got to be kidding me," she muttered seeing her dead-beat mother at the door and her no-show father standing next to you. "You're back in town without a death or emergency? Where's the fire?" Maxie asked, opening the door and crossing her arms. Her mother quickly put her arms down. Felicia Jones should've expected anything but a hug from her eldest daughter. A smack in the face would've been more appropriate. "Maxie, that's no way to talk to your mother." Frisco muttered, softly. "We've been in town since you went into the hospital but Mac begged us to stay away for the sake of your heart. We didn't come to upset you." Frisco told her, levelly. Those were her parents—emotionally stable and caring about her from a distance.

"You should've stayed away." Maxie told her biological parents, rather harshly. This was the personality she'd lost to Spinelli; the self-destructive, snarky girl that didn't avoid being direct to spare everyone else's' feelings. Frisco shook his head patiently, looking at his daughter. "We have something you need to see…" he told her his eyes meeting her for the first time in years. It had been years since Maxie had seen her father. She hardly knew the man that stood in front of her, and she didn't want to know. She shook her head, arms still crossed over her upper body. "What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?" Maxie asked her father, levelly.

"Please?" Felicia piped up, "I promise, we only want 5 minutes of your time. Anything beyond that is your decisions." She managed; the usually collected woman seemed to be feeling over-emotional tonight. Her voice hinted distress. "Mac and Robin have instructed me to rest. So, going out at 2:30 in the morning would be a direct violation of their orders." Maxie told her mother and father. "I need to rest." She said, coolly.

Her parents just looked at each other, their eyes mirrored Maxie's stubbornness but they didn't speak. Instead, it was a voice from behind her that spoke. "And since when do you listen to direct orders, Maxie?" The voice belonged to her roommate and best friend, Lulu Spencer. Lulu had been so overjoyed by Maxie's rebound, but she hadn't understood it. No one did; Maxie didn't even understand it at times.

Maxie turned to look at her friend and saw that she wasn't the only one listening to the conversation. Dante and Spinelli had come out from their respective beds to see who was at the door. Maxie hadn't even noticed their footsteps behind her. "I must agree with the original blonde one, Maximista. I know that the disappearing parents have disappointed you in the past, but maybe they're looking to make amends for their preceding mistakes." Spinelli stuttered. He didn't like under minding Maxie, but having no knowledge of his own parents enticed him to support Maxie's. Dante stood silent; he was familiar with parental issues, especially with his paternity recently coming into light.

Felicia and Frisco had moved into the room and closed the door behind him, trying to keep the altercation held within the doors of Maxie and Lulu's apartment. There was another knock at the door that Maxie rushed to answer hoping to delay this conversation with Felicia and Frisco; while her parents exchanged severe looks. Only one thought was on their minds: Georgie. Georgie was at the door.

When Maxie answered the door, she saw a familiar face. "Hey there! Come in." She said, ushering Johnny Zacharra into the already crowded room. "I was hoping to talk to you, Maxie." Johnny said in a quiet voice. He hadn't, yet, taken in the details of the scene in front of him; and what a sight it was. Maxie looked at him. "That much is obvious; it's a common trend tonight." Maxie told him, closing the door behind him. Johnny entered the room and felt the tension that seemed to be coming from every human body in the room. He nodded to Dante, Lulu and Spinelli in the corner and then turned his attention to the man and woman still standing in the doorway; he immediately noticed their resemblance to Maxie and comprehension hit. "You must be Felicia and Frisco." He acknowledged.

Felicia and Frisco looked surprised. Of course, Johnny knew everything about their daughter; he'd come to admire her in the time he'd known her. Maxie cut off Felicia and Frisco's responding comments with a snarky one of her own: "Don't be nice to them." She snapped, "You don't have to be nice to them. They've done nothing to deserve it." Maxie corrected, leveling her tone and making eye contact with Johnny.

Maxie and Johnny exchanged a look; it was like they could read each others' minds for just a split moment. Maxie was rapidly falling back into her lifestyle before Spinelli and she could see the lust in his eyes that mirrored in her own. She looked away before anyone else could notice it. "I don't mean to interrupt but do you have a minute? I just wanted to talk to you alone…" Johnny told her. Spinelli must've seen the glance in his eyes because he immediately stepped up and his demeanor had changed. "Maximista needs her rest; none of you should be here." He reprimanded Felicia, Frisco, and Johnny all in one shot. Lulu wasn't oblivious to what she'd just seen either. She immediately moved to Spinelli's side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let them talk." She mumbled, slowly. "It's ok." Lulu told him, trying to be sensitive to everyone in the room.

Maxie listened to everyone talking in the room; Lulu trying to comfort Spinelli, Frisco and Felicia exchanging significant looks back and forth, and Dante looking to see what was going to happen next from the corner, where he'd started. Maxie nodded. "We'll talk outside, and then I will go with you and Frisco for five minutes." Maxie complied, looking at Felicia. The pair looked somewhat relieved by this change in their daughters' mood and felt instant gratitude to the mysterious man that had showed up at her doorstep, asking to talk with her in the middle of the night.

~~/~

Maxie and Johnny walked out onto the front porch, ignoring the stares of everyone in the room. Johnny took Maxie's hand and led her around the corner to so that they wouldn't be overheard by Spinelli or anyone else present in the living room of Maxie's apartment. "Sorry, it's a little over-crowded in there at the moment." Maxie apologized, with a small and almost silent laugh. Maxie started out what could be a very awkward conversation. Johnny just nodded, not making eye-contact with Maxie for the first time since Maxie had tried to seduce him for Claudia's money.

"I just came by to ask how you're feeling…" Johnny started, looking up into her beautiful blue eyes. He had caught himself off-guard with how much Maxie could still pull off snarky and sexy after all her changes. "Johnny, we both know that you didn't come here at 2:30am to see how I was feeling. What's really going on?" Maxie asked him, meeting his eyes. She could see the conflict in them, and that frustrated her above all else; especially after everything they had been through. Maxie heard a rustle in the bushes, before Johnny could answer her question. She jumped slightly, her head snapping that direction. Johnny's instincts caused his hand to fly to his gun and pull it out, bracing it and pointing it in the direction of the rustle.

"You're in risk just being here with me. I came to tell you that we're brimming on a mob war. It's Sonny Corinthos against my alliance with Luke." He spoke slowly and softly. He didn't lower his gun as he held it. He barely looked at Maxie, as he approached the clearing in the brush. "Come out, with your hands where I can see them." He ordered. He heard several more rustles, as none other than Georgie Jones stepped out from the bushes. Maxie immediately stared in the direction that her younger sister had appeared from. "Johnny, are you seeing this?" Maxie asked him. She assumed she was hallucinating, but seeing this hallucination caused all of her irritation with Johnny to melt away. She got to see her sister, and now she had no idea why she was seeing. Johnny lowered his gun. "Yes, Maxie, I'm seeing this." He said, slowly. He didn't believe his eyes, just as Maxie was struggling with the picture in front of her. Maxie ran over and hugged her sister. "Why are you back?" Maxie asked her sister. "You told me I wouldn't remember you visiting, but I do." Maxie began to cry. Every bit of pain, Maxie had felt after her sister died was coming back. She didn't want to lose her again, but that seemed to be inevitable at this point. She was dead; she couldn't be back. It didn't mean that she was staying; she couldn't be staying here.

It was before Georgie could answer that Felicia and Frisco burst through the door, each with a gun raised at Johnny. "Lower your gun…" Frisco ordered, as Johnny put it back in its holster. Felicia and Frisco followed in suit. "This is what we want to show you, Maxie." They told her, as Maxie clung to her sister, praying and hoping that she wouldn't disappear again. Shortly after that Lulu and Spinelli followed Maxie and Georgie's parents out the front door. Both their jaws just dropped. Spinelli was the first to speak: "Wise Georgie, how… how… how could you… be, I mean… alive? I held you; you were dead… no pulse." He stumbled sheepishly.

Georgie didn't respond; she just smiled at him and held her sister. Johnny, Spinelli, and Lulu all looked to Felicia and Frisco for an answer. Frisco looked at Felicia and she began to tell the story. "It was Frisco's plan; actually, it was quite brilliant." She began. "You see, Frisco and I knew both our daughters and were busy trying to hunt down the Text Message Killer, so when Maxie made correspondence with him, we began to plan. We knew that the killer wasn't selecting people randomly and were intercepting text messages. We also began to see the patterns change in texts once Georgie took Maxie's cell phone and so we began to make a plan to save our daughters. There is a pill that we found on our travels that temporarily stops the heart and feigns everyone around to believe that the taker of the pill died. That's why she had no pulse." Felicia explained. "Mac wouldn't tell you that Georgie's body disappeared because he knew that I had something to do with it, Maxie. He didn't know that she was still alive; no one did." Felicia told her eldest daughter, whose face was changing from sad to angry right in front their eyes.

Maxie pulled out of her sister's arms and took a few strides toward Felicia. "You," she choked. "You kept my sister alive, and you didn't feel the need to tell ME!" Maxie snapped. Her head was spinning; she wasn't grasping the concept of the fact that Georgie was still alive, just that her parents had betrayed her, AGAIN. "She was the only family I had; the only person that genuinely cared and was ALWAYS there for ME AND YOU DIDN'T FEEL THE NEED TO TELL ME?!" Maxie snapped. Her tone lowered as several porch lights came on. "What about Mac and Robin? How could you be so selfish and keep it from THEM?!" Maxie asked her mother and father. Tears were streaming down her face. Nothing about this situation was right. Georgie appeared at Maxie's shoulder and shook her head. "Maxie, they couldn't tell anyone. They were protecting me from Diego." Maxie told her. "You wouldn't believe how dismayed he was when he came after me that it wasn't you. He wanted both of us, dead. That's why Felicia stayed in town, she was monitoring you. She didn't want him to actually kill you." Georgie tried to explain to her irrational older sister.

Maxie's heart was pounding as she pulled away from Georgie, Felicia, and Frisco and walked back over to Johnny. That's where she delivered her feeling of disgust with all of them. "You felt no need to contact us. No need to tell us, you were OK?" Maxie asked her sister. Georgie sighed and looked at her sister. "I tried to give you little hints and reminders: do you remember when you got my letter for the acceptance of the study abroad program?" Georgie asked her. "That's where I've been. I've missed you so much." Maxie just stared at her sister, trying not to break down into tears again. "That's why I visited you against the hospital." Georgie told her, slowly.

"You did what?!" Felicia asked Georgie, the attention of the conversation changing. Every face standing in the crowd was changing with the mood. Lulu and Dante looked uncomfortable. Spinelli just looked confused. Johnny was trying to remain neutral, standing too close to Maxie to be too expressive. He rubbed her back, gently as she watched the events. Shock was beginning to set in; this was all real. "I went to visit my sister at the hospital." Georgie told her mother, levelly. "I thought she was going to die and I wanted to give her a reason to live and I did." Maxie silently agreed with that statement. "Her vitals improved after my visit; she thought I was an angel." Georgie told her, seriously. "I told her she had to choose to live."

Felicia waved it off; there was too much going on for an argument. Then it happened, Maxie collapsed into Johnny's arms. Her heart was beating too fast and causing too much pressure on her vital organs.

--/-

A/N: Alright, so this is my first fanfic in a loonnnng time! So, enjoy. Leave comments! =]


	2. Hospitalized and Isolated

**Caught in the Crossfire **

**Chapter 2: **Hospitalized and Isolated

What happened next was all a blur to Maxie Jones; she was rushed to the hospital in Johnny's car, with Georgie riding shotgun and her parents and Spinelli occupying the backseat. Dante and Lulu followed behind; that once snarky stand-offish girl now had friends. Of course, Georgie showing up at the hospital was a sight Maxie wish she would've seen because when she woke up Georgie, Robin, and Mac were all seated next to her, waiting for her to wake up.

They all wore looks of concern on their faces, but Maxie knew that they were hiding their shock and hurt better than she had. Maxie came-to very slowly, looking around at each of the faces that engulfed her. From Mac to Robin to Georgie, even to her parents who had now appeared in the doorway. "How are you feeling, Maxie?" Mac asked her, tenderly. Maxie smiled weakly and him and shook her head. "It wasn't a dream," she mumbled hazily, more to herself than to anyone sitting in the room with her.

Robin felt her forehead to make sure her temperature was normal. The heart monitor beeped steadily, not showing any signs of discomfort. "I'm fine," Maxie insisted, swatting away Robin's hand. She reached for Georgie's hand. It was a year and a half ago that Maxie had laid in this bed, attached to a heart monitor when she'd found out her sister died. She smiled weakly at her. Mac looked to be on the verge of tears, and Robin was not showing any emotion at all. They hadn't really had time to process either; they were hit with Maxie collapsing the night she was sent home from the hospital and Georgie's reappearance all within a matter of minutes. "I don't know how you didn't tell us." Maxie turned to Felicia and Frisco, who were hoping to remain unnoticed in the doorway to everyone but Maxie, who could sense their presence without seeing them.

"It's not their fault, Maxie." Georgie and Robin chimed in at the same time; Mac seemed to be biting back his own bitterness. Georgie and Robin had always been more understanding than Maxie had; of course, that wouldn't change from time apart. Robin looked over at Georgie and smiled, giving her a hug. Maxie knew that this wasn't the way that Georgie's reunion was supposed to go. It was supposed to be fun and light and now everyone was too worried about Maxie to give Georgie everything she deserved. As if Maxie wasn't down enough on herself as it was; she felt like she always ruined everything, especially when it came to her sister.

"Georgie, once I'm released from the hospital, I'm going to make this up to you." She promised; maybe Spinelli was beginning to rub off on her with his good-heartedness. "We're going to have a huge welcoming home party for you." Maxie told her, smiling. Her connections at Crimson could arrange anything. "You don't have to do that, Maxie." Georgie told her sister, without a moment's hesitation. "She wants to," Robin chimed in; she recognized the look on Maxie's face. It was a career oriented project without having a strict, over-bearing, and bitching Kate standing over her shoulder and critiquing every move.

"You're damn right, I want to! You're my kid sister, and you're NOT dead, and I haven't seen you in 18 months! So, we're going to have fun, as soon as Robin tells me I can leave again." Maxie told her sister, with a smirk. Robin simply shrugged. "There was a lot of pressure on your heart and you still weren't up to full strength; Epiphany thinks that we should keep you here and force you to remain in bed for the next week or so." Robin admitted, slowly. She hated to keep Maxie in the hospital, especially when she knew how much the girl hated it. "Well, can you blame me for being the tiniest bit caught off guard?" Maxie asked her cousin, snarkily. Oh, yea, Maxie was coming back into her old ways.

Maxie shook her head. "No," she protested simply. "I am not going to stay in the hospital and make you all worry about me." Maxie stated firmly. "Georgie is alive and here with us and I am not going to steal the spotlight AGAIN; this is a time for celebration!" Maxie told Robin and Mac. "I am not screwing this up for her." She told them, her eyes travelling the faces in the room. "Maxie, we're going to worry about you whether you're in the hospital or not." Georgie interjected into the conversation. Maxie could tell that everyone in the room was tired because there was no discussion and it was in that that Maxie knew it was time for them to go and get some rest. "Georgie, I'm so glad you're back and I'm sorry I yelled at you." Maxie apologized, very sincerely. "You were doing what you had to." Maxie told her sister, giving her a hug.

"And I'll be fine." Maxie told her family. "You all have long days tomorrow, you should go and get some sleep." Maxie told them, with a small smile. She gave Mac a weary hug and then moved onto Robin. She didn't even look at her biological parents. Georgie had forgiven her for everything that she had done to her and in spite of her; she deserved Maxie's forgiveness. Felicia and Frisco did not. And she would not make it that easy for them, even if they had saved her sister.

Everyone filed out slowly after an utterance of "good night" and disappeared. Maxie gave Georgie another hug before she left and watched Mac follow Felicia out of the room. He looked as irritated with Felicia as Maxie felt. That was new, but Maxie didn't mind not being the only one with any kind of human emotions. Robin and Georgie headed back towards Patrick and Robin's house to go see baby Emma. It wasn't until Maxie heard the elevator ding that she heard boisterous voices in the hallway. Mac was screaming at Felicia; losing his cool. He was screaming at her for taking his little girl from him and forcing him to believe she was dead for a year and a half before bringing her back into their lives. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT MAXIE?! You know how fragile she is, who knows how much pressure her heart can take… she's probably losing her mind in there by herself…" Felicia shout back at him asking him which was better? "Losing your little girl forever or for 18 months of her life? I was doing what the PCPD and YOU couldn't. I was protecting her!"

Maxie listened until Spinelli, Dante, and Lulu showed up at the door. Johnny had apparently missed most of the angst, by skipping out and going to get some of Maxie's favorite snacks and comfort food. Although, he told everyone else he had business to attend to. "How are you feeling?" Lulu asked her, appearing at her bed side. "I'm fine, seriously, I'm just tired." Maxie told them, running a hand through her hair. "You also said you were fine when you were in here and almost died last week." Lulu confronted Maxie. Maxie would pretend she was fine until she was blue in the face and both, Lulu and Maxie, knew it. "I'm just tired." Maxie repeated, tiredly. She smiled. She turned to Spinelli. "Go see Georgie, I know you want to." Maxie told her current beau, she could see it in his eyes.

"Maximista, you need me here with you." Spinelli tried to convince her otherwise, but he didn't deny it. Maxie shook her head. "Right now, all I need is some sleep." She told him, rubbing her eyes. She was once again on a breathing machine. She took his hand and pulled down her mask. "She was your best friend before she disappeared. Go." She said, with a weak smile. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You continue to wear that." Spinelli said, gesturing to the breathing mask. "Go," Maxie repeated. Spinelli nodded, gave her a short hug and disappeared out of the door. Lulu and Dante were left in the room and to both the girls' surprise, Dante spoke.

"You shouldn't toy with him; if you don't want him, tell him." Dante told her, speaking plainly. Maxie paused and stared at him for a moment, ignoring the similar reaction that Lulu had on her own face. "It's not the time for that," Lulu told him. "Maxie is sick and she needs the support of everyone around her. Her heart can't take the pressure of breaking Spinelli's heart." Lulu argued. "Don't talk about me like I'm not in the room." Maxie reminded Lulu, testily. "I'm not dead, yet." She added, her tone was obviously annoyed. Lulu stared at Maxie, shaking her head. "What's gotten into you, Maxie?" She asked, obviously caught off-guard by Maxie's sudden change in personality. Dante turned to look at Lulu: "not the time," he muttered to her sarcastically. "Nothing, I'm just tired. It's been a very long day." Maxie told her, forcing a smile. Lulu nodded, "I get it; you want to be left alone." She told her. "I'll come back to visit tomorrow." Lulu was right; Maxie did want to be left alone. She had a lot to think about. Maxie laid down, only after she gave Lulu a hug. "Look at it this way:" she muttered. "At least you have the apartment to yourself tonight." Maxie told her laughing and giving her roommate a wink. She didn't have to isolate herself completely from Lulu and her friends because she knew things were going to end with Spinelli. She knew they both knew that their relationship was coming to an end. Georgie being back changed everything; she had been in love with the man, after all. Now that she wasn't dead, Maxie was betraying Georgie by staying with him, or at least, she could justify it to herself that way.

--/-

Maxie had only been sleeping for about 5 minutes when Johnny showed up with a few of her favorite snacks. As bad as it would sound, sitting in the hospital with Maxie would make a great alibi; but that wasn't his motivation. He wanted to give Maxie a chance to respond to the conversation they'd began to have before Georgie had interrupted and caused a riot. Maxie's eyes opened as if she could sense his presence in the room.

"Lulu said you went to deal with some business, what are you doing here?" Maxie asked him, slowly. She really was beginning to feel as tired as she had already told everyone else she was. "Maxie, you collapsed in my arms; you didn't really think I was going to take you to the hospital and leave you there?" Johnny asked her, seriously. When Maxie didn't respond, he continued. "This time, I'm really here to see how you're feeling…" Johnny told her, simply. Maxie shook her head. "I wish I knew." She told him, honestly. "Physically, I feel fine; emotionally and mentally, I'm not sure how I should feel." Maxie told him. She loved her relationship with Johnny. Their friendship was so honest and pure. Maxie could say anything to him and knew he wouldn't judge her for everything she had done and would continue to done. He'd replaced Georgie, after she died and that was something Maxie thought no one would be able to do. However, their relationship was very different between that of siblings- it was an adrenaline rush; it was dangerous; it made her feel alive and almost self-destructive beside him and still she could tell him everything and not have to worry about being judged or looked down upon. Johnny did, after all, have a self-destructive streak longer than Maxie's own. It made their friendship easy.

"That's understandable," Johnny commented, coolly. "Your sister just came back from the dead, in your mind. No one expects that you're just going to be okay with that." He added, simply. "I just feel like I should be ecstatic and because of everything that's going on and because of my self-absorbed tendencies, I'm not." Maxie told him, clearly. "I'm glad that she's back and she's healthy; I just don't know what it means for everyone else, you know?" Maxie asked, sighing. Johnny took her hand in his own. "Maxie, that's not being self-absorbed. You're processing; that's normal." Johnny insisted. Maxie looked at him, her eyes shining with disbelief in the words he was telling her. "Look, if Claudia came back from the dead, I'd be ecstatic but I'd also have to have concern. I have trashed my life to avenge hers; all of it would be for nothing." Johnny told her, clearly. He had to make her understand that she wasn't wrong in not feeling completely ecstatic. "Your relationship with Spinelli is all based on the fact that Georgie died." Johnny stated, but Maxie finished his sentence before he could.

"And all that means nothing, now that she isn't dead." Maxie told him, flatly. "Georgie and Spinelli are perfect for each other and for me: that gives me the way out I've been looking for." She told him, her voice still unenthused by the idea. Her time with Spinelli had given her a conscience. "That's awful, isn't it?" Maxie asked him. "No," Johnny insisted, trying not to show her that his heart had jumped in his chest. "No, it's not. We both knew that Spinelli wasn't right for you." Johnny told her, seriously. Maxie silently agreed with that statement. Everyone knew that she and Spinelli wouldn't last; especially Johnny. Their relationships had parallels. He'd tried so hard to make things work with Lulu, just as Maxie had tried to with Spinelli. Johnny reached over her to put the junk food on the table—it was obvious they weren't eating it tonight. "Would you like to tell me what you came to talk to me about earlier tonight?" Maxie asked. "You know the excerpt about a mob war on the horizon? Oh, and what is the part about trashing your own life to avenge Claudia's?" Maxie asked him, eying him suspiciously.

Johnny had put off his thoughts about the mob war that was about to break loose on all of Port Charles once Maxie had collapsed in his arms. "That is a conversation for another night." Johnny started, but Maxie cut him off. "I may not have another night, so you might as well tell me." Maxie told him, rolling her eyes. Johnny eyed her, a look of distaste in his eyes. "Don't say that." He warned in a dangerously low voice. "Don't even joke, Maxie. You don't know how important you are to me." He told her, simply. Maxie was caught off guard by that statement, so she just stared at him with those questioning eyes she'd perfected over the years. "I came to say goodbye. It's not safe for you to be in correspondence with me; Sonny will be looking for my weaknesses." He told her, the conversation becoming heavy. Maxie shot up from her lying down position. "Like hell, I'm going to let you say goodbye." Maxie told him, raising her eye brows. "If being your friend puts me at risk, then it's a risk I'm willing to take." Maxie told him. She knew that she was safe as long as she remained in good graces with Spinelli and Jason. Sonny's enforcer wouldn't kill her, not even for Sonny's sake: Maxie knew that much. Johnny smirked. "How did I know this was going to be a useless conversation?" Johnny asked her, rhetorically. "Because, you know that you'd have the same reaction." Maxie laughed at the truth behind that statement and to her surprise, Johnny did too. To her surprise leaned in a kissed her softly on the forehead. "I have too much respect for you to walk away." He told her, standing up. "I'm going to let you get some rest; I'll be back tomorrow." Johnny told her, simply. And with that, he left the room. It'd taken all his will power not to kiss her the way he wanted to, but he knew that it wasn't the time. She was in the hospital, but he was struggling to get a grip on himself.

--/-

Georgie had just settled in at Robin's after re-explaining everything to Patrick and Robin, while baby, Emma, cried. There was a knock at the door that brought Mac and Spinelli into the house. Apparently, no one wanted to leave Georgie's side now that they knew that she was alive. She smiled and walked over to her father and gave him a big hug. Mac was on the verge of tears, holding his youngest daughter alive in his arms for the first time in 18 months. Spinelli smiled at the youngest Jones' daughter. "Wise Georgie, it is so nice to have you back among the living." Spinelli told her, waiting to address her until after Mac finally pulled away from her. "Spinelli," Georgie muttered softly, hugging him tightly against her. There was a time when he was everything she had ever wanted and somehow he had fallen for her sister, of all people.

After a round of hugs, Georgie took the crying child in her arms as Robin explained who she was. "She's beautiful." Georgie told her cousin, smiling down at the child. It wasn't long before Emma had fallen asleep—Robin took her from Georgie and took her into her room and put her in the crib. She couldn't help but smile as Mac left and Spinelli offered to drive Georgie back to Mac's house. "I feel that I shouldn't have intruded on such a family function." Spinelli admitted sadly, after Mac left. Robin shook her head. "You are a part of the family, Spinelli." She told him, with a smile. Georgie could feel the slightest twinge of jealousy towards Maxie, for the first time in her life. She was never going to be good enough for the men she wanted, they would always want Maxie. She sighed. Patrick noticed the change in mood. "Robin and I are going to go to bed; you're more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like." He told Spinelli and Georgie, smiling slightly. Robin looked a little more than disgruntled being escorted into her bedroom by her husband. She wanted to spend the night talking to her cousin about everything the last year had brought about. However, with some coaxing from Patrick, they headed to the bedroom, leaving Spinelli and Georgie to talk in the living room by themselves.

Spinelli remained silent, trying to understand exactly what Sweet Georgie was thinking. He couldn't seem to get a grip on the reality that had only just begun to settle in. "Wise Georgie, what vexes you?" He could sense her dismay at the situation. Georgie sighed and smiled. "Even after a year and a half, you can still read me like a book." Georgie told him, laughing in spite of herself. "Although the jackal has spent much time unmasking the emotions of women, I don't dare say that I could ever read you like a book." Spinelli told her, referring to her undying love for him that he'd never uncovered until after her death. "Spinelli, that's the past." Georgie began, but Spinelli shook his head. "The past is what has led us into the present. You are the entirety as to why Maximista and I ever shared a bond." Spinelli told her, regretfully. "I apologize for never knowing or paying enough attention to how you felt, Georgie. I had no idea until the day that you died, or well, didn't die that you had any feelings beyond contemplacency towards me." He told her. "The jackal just assumed that you followed the same mold as the original blonde one." Spinelli told her; he'd assumed that Georgie would've been the same as Lulu and her sister, always one for the bad boys.

Georgie stared at him in silence for a moment. He was always so intelligent and aware of everything and the man had no idea that she had feelings for him. It just didn't make any sense to her. "It's okay, Spinelli, as long as you're happy." Georgie told him, putting her own feelings for him aside and smiling at him. Spinelli smiled weakly, it wasn't quite believable. "I feel I must apologize, had things followed the natural order of things, everything would be different." Spinelli told her. "Spin, you're with my sister. Of course, I want what is best for you both." Georgie reasoned, calmly. This whole conversation felt like a slap in the face; maybe it was wrong for her to come back. Everything had changed; life had moved on without her.

"What if I'm not what is best for Maximista?" Spinelli asked Georgie. "You know your sister. You know her streak of bad boys and her self-destructive qualities. She's not one to be tamed. I can sense her restlessness. I fear she is growing weary of my presence and seeks out the company of someone, like the mob prince, John Zacharra." Georgie stared at Spinelli for just a moment before she responded. This was the whole situation repeating from when he was in love with Lulu. "Maxie would be a fool to let you go, Spinelli." She began. "You're brilliant, charming, and handsome. She doesn't know how lucky she is to have you; how lucky any girl would be to have you. You don't need to be insecure over Johnny Zacharra." Georgie told him. "The man is a time-bomb that is waiting to explode." She added. "That is exactly what worries me." Spinelli admitted, meeting the eyes of his once imagined beloved Georgie. "Your sister has the same tendencies; she's looking for an out." Spinelli told Georgie, being honest with himself for the first time out loud. "I fear that she is going to use your return for an escape route." Spinelli told his best friend. "Spinelli, let her. As much as I love my sister and I want what's best for her; I also want what is best for YOU." Georgie told him, simply. "And Maxie has the worst relationship track-record Port Charles has seen, excluding Sonny and Jax." Georgie told him, running her hand down his arm.

A/N: Chapter 2 as promised!! =] I originally planned on an impulsive steamy JoMax kiss, but that didn't happen. I didn't want to rush it too much! Thank you for all your reviews and favorites!! I love you guys! I hope you continue to enjoy!

UP NEXT:

Maxie runs into Ethan, when she's sneaking out of the hospital and finds herself grabbed by Luke to keep her silent about his sons' whereabouts. Remember this man will do anything to protect Ethan from Sonny and he thinks that Maxie's loyalties lie solely with Spinelli and therefore Sonny.


	3. Those That Care

Caught in the Crossfire

A/N: Sorry guys, I took a slight break from writing while trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with the story. 11 pages per chapter was a lot, so I've decided to cut the bulk of Georgie/Spinelli out because I prefer Johnny and Maxie's stuff and it doesn't take me as long to write. So, without further adeu.

Chapter 3

Maxie could feel the tension the second that Johnny had walked into the room, but by the time he'd left, she knew what her body wanted and it was simple- him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, trying to get a grip on herself. If she knew the hospital rounds, she knew that Epiphany would go on a 15 minute break at midnight to get a cup of coffee and that she would be free to get the hell out of the hospital once and for all. Maxie wasn't thinking about where she would go to spend the night, but what routes she would have to take to avoid the 3rd shift volunteers. Basement and heating vents it was. She tried to get a sense of how her body was function: was she going to be pushing herself too hard? The answer was clear: no. Maxie was feeling very restless.

At 11:55, Epiphany stuck her head in the door. Maxie's heart-rate was normal and she appeared to be fast asleep. Maxie had been the last patient she'd checked on, because they both knew, most people didn't try to plan a jail-break from a hospital- they'd simply sign themselves out. Maxie waited until the echoes of Epiphany's foot-steps disappeared and then she began to move. Quickly and quietly, she jumped out of her bed, grabbed her set of clothes from the cabinet where Elizabeth had placed them not long before and she was off. Down the hospital stairs, into the basement, dodging volunteers left and right by entering new rooms of sleeping patients and ducking behind trash-cans in hallways. Maxie missed this kind of adventure with Spinelli, it made her wish that her friend was here with her instead of visiting with her sister. She finally got to the basement, but heard footsteps, she ducked into a previously locked room and found herself face to face with Ethan Lovett.

"What the-" She was stopped instantly, by Ethan's hand covering her mouth and then she heard it too. There were foot-steps coming their direction. They both, instinctively ducked behind the gurney. "What the hell are you doing here?" Maxie hissed in Ethan's direction. Of course, Maxie hadn't known Kristina personally, but she had heard the story that Ethan had beaten Sonny's daughter. "I'll explain, just wait." He muttered as the footsteps passed the room that the two were currently occupying. "What are YOU doing downstairs in a hospital gown?" He asked Maxie, who was now getting changed on the other side of the room. "What does it look like I'm doing?" Maxie asked him, rolling her eyes. "I'm getting the hell out of General Hospital." She explained the obvious.

"You're hiding from Sonny Corinthos…" Maxie guessed, smirking slightly. "Are you going to beat me too?" Maxie asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't beat Kristina." He told her, his temper rising uncontrollably. "Then why are you hiding…?" Maxie asked him, coolly. "Maybe you don't know, but Sonny Corinthos and the Zacharras are on the brink of a mob war that my father got involved in to protect me." He explained to Maxie slowly, as if she didn't understand him. Maxie rolled her eyes. "I never took you for a coward." She told Ethan, raising her eye brows at him. She shook her head. "Look, I don't care that you're here. I'm just trying to get out before an orderly or volunteer decides to notice that I'm missing." Maxie told Ethan, simmering out a little.

Without any warning, the door behind Maxie flew open and Luke was in the doorway, his gun raised. "What the hell is going on here?" Luke asked, looking from Maxie to Ethan. Maxie looked at Ethan and Ethan moved to answer the question. "Apparently, we were hiding from the same people." He joked. Luke looked to Mac's daughter, he needed to protect his son but not at the expense of pissing Mac off. He grabbed Maxie from behind and jammed her arm with a sedative and moved his head to the door. "Come on," he directed to Ethan. "We'll get you both back to the Haunted Star." He told the younger man, because the girl was basically unconscious. He mentally noted: that he'd decide what to do with her later. He wasn't really sure what to do with the young woman, except maybe to ask Johnny Zacharra to kill her, in order to further infuriate Sonny and Jason. He had no idea of the young woman's ties to Johnny.

-/-

Within the next hour, Luke, Ethan, and Maxie, now with her hands tied behind her back, were back at the haunted star. Maxie hadn't come around from the sedative Luke had given her. He had gone a tad insane when he found out that Sonny's first target was not Johnny, but instead, Ethan. He would do anything to protect him from his former friend. Maxie started to come to as Ethan took her pulse. "Luke, I don't really think she cares where I'm hiding… she was just looking for a way out of the hospital." Ethan reasoned. Luke had gone very silent. "Doesn't matter." He grumbled, taking a shot of whiskey from the bar. He'd called Johnny but there hadn't been an answer. Apparently news that Maxie was missing from the hospital had spread much faster than anyone would've expect, solely due to the fact that Mac was the first to receive the call and put out an instant APB.

-/-

Johnny had been the first to arrive at the hospital when he'd heard Maxie had gone missing. It was just like her to do something like this, but not without calling someone to let them know that she would be over. Epiphany informed Johnny, Mac, Robin, and Spinelli, that she'd checked on her right around midnight, during her rounds. Johnny looked at his cell phone to see the light blaring at him: 1:46. That was nearly 2 hours ago, and apart from Lulu, everyone she would've called was in her unoccupied hospital room. He looked to Spinelli, Robin, and Mac, all of whom looked pale as a ghost. "She's resourceful, she'll be fine." He told them, speaking highly of Maxie to the people who knew her best. He ignored the missed call on his phone from Luke and dialed Lulu's number. She answered the phone but didn't seem to be conscience enough to understand the words that were coming out of Johnny's mouth. "Maxie is missing from the hospital. Is she with you?" Lulu had grumbled an answer of "no" and hung up the phone. Apparently, she and Dante had had a long night in the empty apartment. Johnny shut his phone with a snap and walked out of the hospital room to check the routes he knew Maxie would take.

All that effort came to no conclusion, except several more empty hospital rooms. He sighed, looking around hopelessly and left the hospital, dialing Maxie's cell phone number. He was surprised when he heard Ethan's voice on the other side of the phone. "Ethan," he growled, his tone low enough that he was barely audible. "Where is Maxie?" He asked, trying to manage his temper. "Haunted Star. I think Luke has lost it." He mumbled as Luke had gone to the bathroom after several too many shots. Johnny nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I can." That was an understatement. In less than 15 minutes, Johnny had arrived at the Haunted Star.

When he got there, Luke was passed out and Maxie had come around. She was no longer tied up, as Luke would've liked her to be. "Maxie, are you ok?" Johnny asked her, before paying any mind to the alert Ethan Lovett sitting beside her, holding a cup of coffee. "I'm fine." Maxie pressed on. "Luke is one crazy bastard, though." She told him, gesturing to the passed out man in the chair. "I'm just tired." She added, after Johnny gave her a skeptical look that she could read: you're not fine. He put his arm around Maxie and walked her out to the car. "I'll deal with you two in the morning." He snapped. He hadn't gotten much sleep in the past couple nights, especially with tonight being as chaotic as it had been. He dialed Spinelli and explained that Maxie was safe and would be spending the night with him.

A/N: Next up- Spinelli's reaction to Maxie spending the night with another man and Johnny blowing up at Ethan and Luke for their kidnapping of the police commissioner's daughter as well as his friend.


End file.
